AAFES makes 'business case' for all vets to shop onlineRead the Full StoryThe Progress-Index
Allowing 18.8 million honorably-discharged veterans to shop online through military exchange services, which also operate brick-and-mortar department stores and concessions on base, could boost store profits enough to pump more than $100 million back into base quality-of-life programs.

Military families are more worried than ever about the effects of budget cutsRead the Full StoryGovernment Executive, Kellie Lunney
Downsizing within the Defense Department and the long-term impacts of sequestration are creating anxiety about job security among military service members and their families, according to a new survey.

DoD plans overhead cutsRead the Full StoryFederal Times, Andrew Tilghman
The Pentagon is gearing up a new effort to cut overhead and administrative costs. Specifically, the initiative will target the "Fourth Estate" — everything other than the military services and combatant commands, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work.

Pay and benefits reform still in limboRead the Full StoryMilitary Times, Leo Shane III
In about five months, the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission will unveil its recommendations for a radical overhaul of troops' pay and benefits.

Cards emerge as key player in authenticationRead the Full StoryMilitary Times, Amber Corrin
Another day, another massive security breach: The online theft of usernames, passwords and personally identifiable information is now so common many people barely think twice about it. But when it's the federal government that's been hacked, the situation takes on a different urgency.

UNIWEB - AMERICAN MADE FOR 40 YEARSUniweb continually pushes the limits in creativity and potential of every product they create, providing cost-effective solutions to upgrade existing shelving and increase product facings in the same footprint, thereby enhancing sales volumes! Uniweb also engineers modular spaces which include cash or manager’s offices, secure rooms, and back offices.

UPS data breach does not affect exchange customersMilitary TimesMilitary shoppers who made purchases or shipped packages through The UPS Store locations operated through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service were not affected by the data breach involving about 1 percent of the UPS Store locations nationwide, AAFES officials said.

Opt-in Email is sent to people who have signed up to receive messages of interest to the military community. Email presents many benefits over other more traditional forms of marketing.

• Opened- Email is read when the reader has the time and has chosen to look at the message.

• Low cost- Email campaigns can be designed, produced and launched very easily, quickly and inexpensively compared to print advertising.

• Real time delivery- Email is effective in delivering a message about a short term sale opportunity, special pricing or other promotional message...MORE

Advertisement

COALITION UPDATE

Coalition and Valued Associates Advocacy and Actions...

Military and veterans service organizations, to include Coalition valued associate members, have repeatedly called on Congress to end sequestration, rallied their members to storm the Hill, and continue to urge the military community to contact their Members of Congress. If sequestration continues in fiscal year 2016 and beyond, these prominent organizations warn that we will once again be facing drastic cuts to military and civilian personnel; compromising military readiness; and jeopardizing critical earned benefits and programs for our service members and their families — to include Commissary and Exchange benefits, and essential Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs.

According to a recent survey by First Command Financial Services, military families are experiencing a high level of anxiety regarding sequestration and cuts to the Defense budget. The First Command Financial Behaviors Index®, reveals that:

Seventy-six percent of middle-class military families (senior NCOs and commissioned officers in pay grades E-6 and above with household incomes of at least $50,000) say that during the past year someone in their household has experienced one or more mental or physical health-related issues commonly associated with financial worries. That's up significantly from 65 percent in 2013 and 62 percent in 2012.

Mental or physical health problems are particularly prevalent among military families who report high levels of concern over sequestration and the financial impact of anticipated cuts to defense spending. The Index reveals that 89 percent of survey respondents who feel extremely or very anxious about sequestration also report that someone in their family has experienced one or more of these health challenges …

"Almost 7 in 10 survey respondents indicate anxiety regarding sequestration and almost half expect to be extremely or very affected by anticipated cuts to defense spending," said Scott Spiker, CEO of First Command Financial Services Inc. The Defense Department has planned to downsize in the coming years because of troops withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The anxiety is wide-ranging, covering fears over smaller annual pay increases and benefits, such as housing allowances, education and retirement, to relocation concerns related to BRAC (although Congress so far has rejected the Obama administration's calls for more Base Realignment and Closure rounds).

Military families are cutting back on daily spending, increasing their savings and pulling back on investments, according to the survey.

Military service organizations continue to call on Congress to end sequestration and support funding for critical military pay and benefits, and family support programs. Joyce Raezer, Executive Director for the National Military Family Association warns:

"My message to everybody is, don't think that as those deployments and as the wars wind down, our military families are going to need less support. We think in many ways they're going to need more, because they're going to have to deal with legacy of that time at war."

COMMISSARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissary Web Posts

The following commissary items were posted to the ALA website between 10 AM, August 21, 2014 and 10 AM, August 28, 2014:

Scholarships for Military ChildrenFisher House FoundationFisher House Foundation announces the Scholarships for Military Children Program for academic year 2015-16. Now in its 15th year, the program has awarded more than $12 million in scholarship grants to more than 8,000 military children, primarily through the generosity of DeCA vendors. Point of contact is Jim Weiskopf, Vice President, Fisher House Foundation.

GMA sets initiatives to improve food safety assessmentsSupermarket NewsThe Grocery Manufacturers Association announced a series of initiatives to advance the procedures used to assess the safety of food ingredients. According to Leon Bruner, chief science officer for GMA, "Our industry is committed to providing consumers with safe, quality, affordable and innovative products. In the spirit of that ongoing commitment, we are launching a modernization initiative that will improve the process and increase transparency for making Generally Recognized As Safe determinations of ingredients added to food."

Why retail marketers should be leading the waySupermarket NewsLoyalty expert Simon Uwins writes: When I joined Tesco (then a struggling U.K. supermarket chain) as a young marketer, retail was at best a marketing outpost. For a career in marketing you were supposed to join the likes of Procter & Gamble or Unilever. I remember my family and friends thinking I was crazy to join them. However, as it turned out, the marketing challenges I encountered in retail are faced by every marketer today.

E-commerce finally beginning to eat into massive supermarket businessBusiness InsiderE-commerce has yet to prove that it can make a serious dent in the $600 billion a year grocery industry in the U.S., but one promising opportunity is in selling specialty foods, including gourmet, health-conscious, ethnic or otherwise hard-to-find food and beverage items.

Deal reached to sell supermarket chain to ex-CEOThe Associated Press via USA TodayA New England supermarket chain that has been in turmoil for weeks over a workers' revolt and customer boycott has announced that the former CEO will buy a majority stake in the business.

Dale Bryan Memorial Golf OutingMemorial Golf StaffPlease join us at the Dale Bryan Memorial Golf Outing at Prairie Lakes Golf Course in Grand Prairie, Texas, on September 29. The tournament will be a scramble team format followed by a lunch catered by Eddlemon's BBQ and awards.

Sign-in will begin at 0700 with tee off at 0800.

There will be mulligans for sale during check-in and the tickets also will be used for drawings after the awards. There will be prizes for 1st through 3rd place and hole awards for closest to the pin on par 3's and longest drive.

All proceeds will be donated to a charity in Dale's name and that will be announced at the awards following the tournament.

Please use this link to sign up and help us make this an awesome event!

Share this article:

EXCHANGE NEWS

NEXCOM Preferred Vendor PartnerChief Merchandising OfficeThe Navy Exchange Service Command is transitioning to an electronic routing processing system in order to communicate final routing information for purchase orders. Beginning Nov. 7, access to the Transportation Management Portal will be limited and we will no longer fulfill routing requests or provide information via that channel for our preferred vendor partners, those with a sales volume of more than $50,000 at cost.

We have partnered with SPS Commerce, the largest provider of EDI services to the retail industry, to help our vendor community implement this system. This change in business practice will create efficiencies on all sides with regard to transportation and inventory management.

Jim Frome, EVP, COO at SPS Commerce, and I will be conducting a live webcast at 2 p.m. EDT, Aug. 26, to provide details on the initiative, requirements and available solutions. Please ensure that any necessary participants from your company attend this webcast. You may register by clicking the button below.

After the webcast, an SPS Commerce representative will contact your company to review the initiative. Please respond to SPS Commerce by Sept. 26, to ensure continued collaboration between NEXCOM and our vendor community. We look forward to working with you to make this initiative a success.

Universities chase big defense dollarsPOLITICOSome of the nation's most elite universities are deep into defense lobbying, often hiring Washington, D.C.-based firms to press Congress and the Pentagon to fund their science projects.

Wary consumers big on back-to-school bargainsU.S. News & World ReportBargain shopping during the back-to-school season — the second-biggest consumer spending period after the winter holidays — suggests that Americans, especially those at the lower end of the income spectrum, remain guarded despite an improved job market this year.

4 things online merchandisers can't stop talking aboutNational Retail FederationRetail has been around for thousands of years, but e-commerce is just a couple of decades old. The retailers who attended Shop.org's Online Merchandising Workshop discovered more than inspiring ideas and useful tactics; they learned they're not alone. We're all still figuring it out, learning more with each usability test, product launch, photo shoot and development sprint. Shop.org's first post-event "Playbook" looks at the recurring themes that presenters mentioned in multiple sessions.

Entrepreneur's persistence brings shoes to vending machinesLas Vegas Business PressAs a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, Ashley Ross knew that a product she first saw in Great Britain could be a big hit in her hometown. Her company, Rollasole, makes purchasing comfortable flats as easy as buying a soft drink because they're available in vending machines across the city.

NSA Annapolis to renovate MWR BuildingDCMilitary.comStarting on or about Oct. 6, the MWR Building 89 will undergo renovations to improve the heating, ventilation, air conditioning system in the gym, racquetball courts and in other areas. The strengthening, weight, cardio and locker rooms will be completely remodeled to enhance your workout routine. Renovations continue with a sparkling makeover of the Liberty Zone, providing ready access to all MWR patrons. We expect to have these improvements completely done and the center returned to you in early April.

Federal Business OpportunitiesFedBizOpps.govS—AMENDMENT JANITORIAL SERVICES
The purpose of this amendment is address clarification of square footage of work area. This is the final amendment for this solicitation. All quotes should be submitted by email at noon CDT, Aug. 26, to lashanda.harrington@va.gov. The subject line must be addressed VA249-14-Q0598 — Janitorial Services. This requirement will be awarded Lowest Price Quote.

89—BREAD – FY 2015
This is a combined synopsis and solicitation for bread and bakery items for the VA Medical Center in Buffalo, New York.
Contractor shall provide all necessary labor, material, equipment, supplies and supervision to provide bread and bakery items in accordance with the terms and conditions of this contract. The Contractor shall provide bread and bakery items to meet the highest customer service standards of the industry in support of the VA Medical Center in Buffalo, identified as Place of Performance this notice. Contract period is October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. The option to extend for an additional year is available.

89—MILK & DAIRY – 2015 VA MEDICAL CENTER BATAVIA, NY
This is a combined synopsis and solicitation for milk and dairy items for the VA Medical Center in Batavia, New York.
Contractor shall provide all necessary labor, material, equipment, supplies and supervision to provide milk and dairy items in accordance with the terms and conditions of this contract. The Contractor shall provide milk and dairy items to meet the highest customer service standards of the industry in support of the VA Medical Center in Batavia, identified as Place of Performance this notice. Contract period is October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. The option to extend for an additional year is available.